This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Basketball series.
There won't be a ton of action Tuesday with five games scheduled to be played across the NBA. There will be plenty of stars in the slate, though, with the Nuggets, Clippers and Lakers among the teams set to play. Let's highlight some of the top options to consider on Yahoo, as well as a few to possibly avoid.
GUARDS
D'Angelo Russell, LAL at LAC ($24): Russell is on a heater. Over his last five games since returning to the starting lineup, he has averaged 27.2 points and 6.4 assists. During that span, he shot 55.9 percent from the field and 53.7 percent from behind the arc. The Lakers have already ruled out LeBron James (ankle), which should afford Russell even more shot attempts.
Buddy Hield, IND vs. DEN ($13): Like Russell, Hield also recently made a return to the starting lineup for his team. That has propelled him to score at least 30.3 Yahoo points in each of his last three games. He has likely secured a spot in the starting five with Bruce Brown no longer in town, leaving Hield with plenty of upside at his cheap salary.
Guard to Avoid
Cam Thomas, BKN vs. NY ($24): Thomas is a streaky shooter who relies on his scoring production to provide value in DFS. He is averaging only 2.5 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game for the season. A scoring-dependent player against a Knicks team that has the seventh-best defensive rating in the league is not a recipe for success.
FORWARDS
Julius Randle, NY at BKN ($40): Randle is coming off a triple-double in a blowout win over the Raptors on Saturday. He needed to play only 32 minutes, which must have felt like a breeze for him given his season average of 36 minutes per game. With his averages of 24.1 points, 9.3 rebounds and 4.9 assists per game, expect him to be one of the safer forward options for this slate.
Rui Hachimura, LAL at LAC ($12): James being out could lead to added playing time for Hachimura. In the four games that he has logged at least 30 minutes this season, he has averaged 17.0 points, 4.5 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.3 steals. With the potential for him to approach at least 30 minutes again, he could end up being a significant bargain.
Forward to Avoid
Herbert Jones, NO vs. UTA ($20): Jones has scored 18.1 Yahoo points or fewer in four of his last five games. Another concerning stat is that he logged fewer than 25 minutes in three of those games. Even if he plays more Tuesday, his 14.9 percent usage rate this season doesn't make him an appealing option.
CENTERS
Nikola Jokic, DEN at IND ($59): The Pacers are a great team to try and exploit in DFS since they have played at the second-fastest pace and have the fourth-worst defensive rating in the league. The last time Jokic faced them, he scored 54.9 Yahoo points as he fell one assist shy of a triple-double. While his salary will do a number on your budget, he has arguably the highest floor of any player included in this slate.
Precious Achiuwa, NY at BKN ($10): This one will require some monitoring. Isaiah Hartenstein (ankle) is listed as questionable after being forced to leave early during Saturday's matchup with the Raptors. Achiuwa played 25 minutes because of his injury, producing 18 points, 11 rebounds and one block. If Hartenstein is out, Achiuwa is a great option at the minimum salary.
Center to Avoid
Myles Turner, IND vs. DEN ($28): Having to guard Jokic is no picnic. While Turner is a good defensive center, there is the concern that he could get into foul trouble here. He had five fouls over just 26 minutes the last time these two teams met, which limited him to 12 points and four rebounds. There will be plenty of nights when Turner is an appealing option, but this isn't one of them.
